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Tony Russel

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Antonio Pietro Russo (November 23, 1925 – March 18, 2017), known professionally as Tony Russel, was an American actor and voice actor known for working extensively in the Italian film industry during the 1960s, both in physical and dubbing roles.

Biography[]

Born to Italian immigrants in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on November 23, 1925, Russel served in the United States Army during World War II and later attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied Speech and Drama. When he left college, he received further training at the Pasadena Playhouse in California and landed several minor roles in films such as The Silver Chalice (1954), Don't Give Up the Ship, The Last Train From Gun Hill (both from 1959), and War is Hell (1961).

After his role in War is Hell, Russel decided to move to Italy to advance his acting career. His early films in Italy included the title role in The Legend of Fra Diavolo (1962), The Sword of Damascus, and The Revolt of the Seven (both from 1964). He was considered for the role of The Man with No Name in A Fistful of Dollars (1964), but he turned it down.

Arguably, his most notable Italian film role was as Commander Mike Halstead in The Wild, Wild Planet and its sequel War of the Planets (both from 1966).

In 1967, Russel left Italy and returned to the United States, landing more roles in such films as The Hard Ride (1971) and Soul Hustler (1973). He would continue to appear in minor roles in several television shows until his retirement in 1992. He died in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 18, 2017, at the age of 91.

Dubbing History[]

During his Italian film career in the 1960s, Russel became the president of the English Language Dubbers Association of Rome, a position he held until 1966, when he was replaced by Roger Browne. As the head of the organization, he set a goal to unite several rival dubbing organizations in the city, which he eventually achieved.

He is perhaps best known in his dubbing career for being the English voice of Franco Nero in the 1966 film Django, which has since gained a cult following and spawned a series of films named after the character. For his physical roles, Russel provided his own English dubbing.

Filmography[]

Live-Action Dubbing[]

Films[]

External Links[]

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